what if ?

what if#102: crazy indigo continued

....so as i recall, i was asking myself, what if the crazy block could have a single color as a theme?
what if it was indigo? what if the indigo scraps were gifted? making it a sort of memory or thank you block?
and then i asked what if i just cut holes, windows to represent the crazy shapes? and put another fabric behind the mask? and what if i focus in the intersections of the shapes.
and then what if i use kantha stitching and thread beads to hold it together? ...the feather fell from the sky.
i am so pleasantly surprised to see what everyone is doing. i am collecting all the what if questions that have been asked so i can make a list we can all work from. (part of the cqr collaborative)

what if #103: crazy quilted

since i noticed that crazy quilting is mostly focused on the patchwork and the embellishment and not really quilting, i asked what if (?) i try focusing on the quilting. couched rags dividing the space like seams with kantha  quilting. planning for a 7" block.

(part of the cqr collaborative)

what if#104: symmetrical crazy

....so usually crazy quilting is defined as patchwork with no particular pattern and i thought well, what if it is done with a regular pattern...free pieced nine patch. and what if i embellish the seems by using a flat rag strip and embroider over it to hold it in place.
and i am still focusing on intersections. i like this a lot because it is easy, quick and very functional. i feel a quilt coming on.
in process. indigo. about 7" square.

what if #105: recycled crazy

well the first thing i asked myself for this one was what if (?) i take some old unused blocks and re-crazy them. recycle them. what if there are two sets of grids? one ragged one not? i drew some marker lines over an old what if, made  before i was officially what-iffing. and how about if i applique the seams by fussy cutting a printed fabric so the motif lines up just right?
....the second photo is a scan because i don't have a camera right now. 7" square.

what-iffing and responsibility

thanks to all the CQR participants. forgive me for not responding regularly and getting all the photos posted, especially those who have no blogs. you might be thinking "what if she gets organized?  my internet has not been kind to me lately, i just cannot stay online with any consistency so i am very backed up.  i will be making some changes over the weekend to help me cope better with this flood of creativity.

...just had to smile when i saw this one in our flickr group this morning. reminding me of this:

And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life's remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all.

part of a poem by Douglas Malloch

(today's feature photo by Jeana ) because she asked....What if my 3 yr old joins in the fun?
What if I give her a foundation, glue (a small amount this time!) and a pile of scraps, ink and a stamp?
What if I don't stop her from using the ink pad as the stamp?
What if I do stop her from gluing it to the wall?
What if I do stop my 1 yr old from eating the ink?
E REALLY enjoyed this - I am so glad I let her do it instead of worrying about the mess. I hope to add this 'what if' philosophy to my daily life more!

what if #106: crazy wool

the first question was what if (?) the crazy block is made of all wool? i have a crazy collection of wool scrap from my weaving days. fabric and yarn and roving. still playing with what if(?) i overlay the crazy lines over a patched grid. curved this time.
....but the underlying question was really, what if(?) i use a cotton foundation? because i have always wanted to prove some old sewing rules wrong. off to wash it. 7" square, english paper pieced, quilted and decorated with wool applique and wool yarn. (continued here).

what if CQR is more?

.....today i want to say more about CQR. the group has produced many wonderful pieces that to me represent small journeys on a personal level. perhaps i should clarify my objective here.....
my reasons for starting this challenge was to demonstrate a thought catching and questioning process. i picked Crazy Quilting for several reasons.
1. it is a form of quilting which is my focus
2. its roots are in recycling and personal expression which is close to my heart
3.it has a recognizable style which seems to have a large following
4. the style included repeated techniques
5. i knew it would create a stir

...i was curious and asking myself about style. i think of style as a culmination of technique and ideas over time. hopefully it evolves as a personal symbol of achievement and a method of communication. but i thought to myself, what if style is also a stopping point? is it a place where we collectively rest and forget to go forward?  a path to over and over? so i put myself out on a limb with that question. and then i asked what if just the techniques and the materials change? What does it become and where does it lead? Crazy Quilting as it is has nothing to do with this question except i used it to make a point. a jumping off point. an exercise in questioning. I am thinking that eventually it will turn into AQ. Alternative Quilting. jumping off from anywhere.
I am just getting back to the internet after technical problems. I am very excited with the group's work and its atmosphere for sharing ideas.
i have chosen today to feature Karen's new block, because she has no blog and besides being exquisite, it illustrates very well what i was thinking. and the photo presentation just says to me what if we see with new eyes? a beautiful block, thank you Karen.
I have set up a photo album and will start loading in pics from those who have no blogs first, so you can see the work that is being done.i finally have some time to review all that has been done.

what if #107: wool and cotton continued

....a break from CQR-on the lighter side..., so what IF sheep could fly? this is just a wool embroidery test. and i mixed a scrap of appliqued wool in for good measure. all sewn to cotton on a linen foundation for a machine wash test. my weaving wool has been eaten by moths into convenient sized lengths for sewing. recycling and trying new things.

wool. mohair boucle has been couched with wool covering sheep number one. wool split stitch covering sheep number 2. with a bit of straight floss filler because i ran out of wool on that commuter train.

what if #108: crazy vintage

.....i have a lot of old stuff. when i think of crazy quilting, i think of  of tradition and vintage and patchwork and recycled scraps.

.....i was thinking about the lace embellishment on the patchwork seams and thought what if(?) i make the patchwork the embellishment and the lace the patchwork. this will be a fragile piece. made from very brittle old pieces and recycled worn patchwork. maybe it should be framed. i think it will bring the  traditional  and something new together. and i like that it will be repurposed into something non functional. except to look at.

block is 7" square, old lace and sheers, old patchwork applique borders, linen twill foundation

what if #109: crazy markings

.....i couldn't resist. what if (?) i draw the embellishments. this is a quick answer but i think i will go back and do it again on a real patchwork. or i guess i could also color this in! ha!
block is 7", marker and crayon on textured linen.